How are you coping these days? Share your story.

Hi S,
Actually quite a few people have shared their stories of prosperity, including myself in the OP.
Inherently, sad situations are going to be sadder than happy stories are going to be happy. I asked people to share their personal life situations
and we got stories from people representing a good cross section of economic status. I now find that the hope and determination in the people that
have it the worst, to be much more inspiring than sad.

Cool,
How's things in the ATL? You know, job/housing market?
Are you hopeful, confident bout the future?
SD

Oh, and about New Zealand, since my wife is a UK citizen I'm pretty sure we could live there as New Zealand is part of the Commonwealth. I have to
check though cause I'm not sure. Maybe I should start with a visit. As per usual I plan a lot but do very little.

Housing market is very bad. Lots and lots of foreclosures. Job market is okay. This is the NYC of the south so there are lots of different types of
business.

I just hope that in the future I can move out to the country. I long to get a smaller house (tiny old house, 2/3 rooms) and simply things. I feel the
need to go minimalistic (with internet access of course).

Well if the wife has UK citizenship you maybe be able to immigrate to New Zealand. I have only heard great things about that place.

i have posed a few times on ats but am on here all the time reading, my husband and i work in the trucking industry and our jobs both depend on our
economy, its rough out there we do not own a credit card make decent money and have a teenager, we watch what we spend if we cant pay cash we dont get
it plain and simple. i am not saying i dont want things but my needs come before my wants and many americans have that mixed up

OK, I said I would contribute, but it's a bit too personal for me - I lurve my anon status, so I'll be vague.

Myself and my partner both work in educational establishments of some sort. So, no real problem as far as lay-offs or anything. Cost of living is
getting worse in the UK, but I don't drive and live a fairly simple life. I don't go for new shiny things that easily - I don't buy more stuff to
weigh me down. My partner does drive and travels a bit for work, so that is restrictive, but we may move in the near future to reduce that issue.

After spending so long studying etc, I've never had a high maintenance lifestyle. My vices are smoking and an insatiable appetite for music and gigs,
but I rarely drink - maybe a bottle of wine once a month. Have a son, so can be costy keeping him clothed and fed, but he earns his own money from
doing stuff for neighbours, so he buys his own shinys.

TBH, I feel fine. However, my current position is only really contract-like work. So I don't have real solidity for the future. I could easily move
into a more permanent position, but not doing what I want, where I want. So I feel comfortable enough to be less stable doing what I want to do. I'm
not mortgaged etc (learned from previous experience), I don't have debts - a minor overdraft I use now and again. My partner has more stable
employment, but more debt in the form of student loans.

But I know other family members who are in debt to their eyeballs, essentially bankrupt and slaves to their creditors, and others who spend like
frickin crazy on the most useless items that sit gathering dust.

In comparison, I feel cool. No great personal worries on the financial/lifestyle side, and we could easily live on one wage. In fact, we have never
been more comfortable cf. past, and I feel pretty lucky to be living the life I want to a degree at this point in time.

May I ask where in the UK you live?
I can't imagine life without a car. Not because I use it that much, but it gives me the idea of freedom that I can at any time just bail for a few
hours/days and disconnect from the noise.

May I ask where in the UK you live?
I can't imagine life without a car. Not because I use it that much, but it gives me the idea of freedom that I can at any time just bail for a few
hours days and disconnect from the noise.

Heh, too personal. I'm just very secretive and I don't fancy being stalked by some internet freak - and there are many who scare me on this
forum.

In a small city, north of London but south of scotland, heh. It's pretty cheap living cf. London and the south. I've never ever had the urge to
drive. Did one lesson and really hated it - too stressful. I just use public transport if I need to. I like people watching, so public transport is
cool, get the chance to meet all kinds of freaks and hoboes.

I live in a fairly quiet place in a more country-like area on the coast. So if I need to get away, I just go walkabout with some good music on my mp3
player (Bat for Lashes being a new fave) perhaps with the dog in tow. I've lived in surburban places most my life, so I luuuurve it like mad where I
am.

However, I don't think I could ever live too far from the sea. It's a sort of base for me. To spend time watching the waves roll in etc.

I come from a very working class family, and was the only child in the family to do the university thing, so I've done pretty well for myself. I
don't earn a great deal now (my brother who works for a car factory earns more) but have never been money-motivated, just want enough to be
comfortable in my simple life pursuing what makes me feel I can make a difference. Indeed, I left a well paid job in industrial science (pharm R&D) to
move into an academic pathway. So I have never been materialistic. Just always tried to do what makes me happy in life when I can.

I lost my job as a graphic designer/editor/production artist at a local weekly newspaper (making $13 hr) when a corporation bought the paper and moved
all content work out of state.

That was in Feb of 2006.

I used my 401K money (with early withdrawal penalties and all) to keep us eating and under a roof. When that ran out, I used a credit card. When
that was cut off for non-payment... We sent our blessed Buddha, our daughter who was 4 1/2 to live with my sister 3000 miles away - I could not be
sure I could feed her at all, let alone the organic, healthy food I want her to grow up on.

Since 2006, I have been applying for jobs at about 100-150 a week. There are no graphics jobs left in the area, and no one wants a secretary who has
gray hair, it would seem. So most (though not by far all) of my applications have been online.

We (my partner and I) lived in the apartment we were in when I lost my job, and our landlord was very understanding. Until I lost the job, I had been
paying rent 6 months in advance every six months. Then their partner in ownership moved to town and took over and evicted us this last February
29th.

We moved to Brooklyn to stay with friends there and I expected to find a job in no time. Again, applications galore and no job. We moved back to the
boonies and stayed in a friend's cabin - no electricity, no running water inside (a pump about 30 yards outside was available. Friends helped, bring
us occasional food and driving us weekly to the food pantry.

We put an ad on craigslist saying we would work for a place to live. A couple, who had need of someone to do yardwork and domestic, along with
helping them get a handle on decades of hoarding, whose three children had moved out, offered us a place to stay in return for this work.

My partner (my daughter's father) is an inventor and hasn't the ability to deal with "McJobs." But he has been accepted for consideration for
PBS's Everyday Edison show, Spencer Gifts has moved a proposal to the second tier of consideration, and a guy at Tesla Motors is interested in some
of his work, so it looks like maybe there is finally some light at the end of the tunnel.

Still, I can't say anything will come of any of these things, and the couple we work for is struggling themselves. We still go to the food pantry,
but at least we have a commode that flushes, a place to shower, and a stove to cook on. We are getting by.

Hi Amaterasu,
I remember you from our U2Us. I forget the name of your husband's thread but I remember his scientific knowledge to be mind bending, profound, and
brilliant.
If I may ask, where do you live these days?
I hope your fortunes change soon, it seems that you are due a break?
Big Love.
SD

Hi Amaterasu,
I remember you from our U2Us. I forget the name of your husband's thread but I remember his scientific knowledge to be mind bending, profound, and
brilliant.
If I may ask, where do you live these days?
I hope your fortunes change soon, it seems that you are due a break?
Big Love.
SD

I work for Northwest Airlines. It's the third airline that i've worked for and so far it's still in business (Not like Independence air or Maxjet).
I also live in West Virginia and DRIVE from WV to Dulles Virginia for work 4 days a week.

Gas prices?

Dont affect me. I bit my bottom lip and started carpooling with 4 other people. At most I drive once a week to work. Yes it sucks not being able to
listen to my ipod really loudly or chain smoke, but it's 100% worth it. I already had a fuel efficient vehicle to begin with but the carpool is still
a life saver. I'd recommend it to anyone that wants to save some cash and their sanity.

How do I deal with money issues?

Easy. I stay at home and enjoy the things I already have. Camping and hanging out with family friends. I find that a 20 case of bud and a quiet
evening on the porch with my wife is just as much fun as.... well.. anything else. It's so easy to save money and still have fun. Investing in some
home entertainment is also a good idea.

I try not to let it get to me. Granted our country is slightly "suicidal," at the moment. It's really easy to forget about all of this when you are
having a good time and not getting caught up in the BS.

I know it's rare to have someone sound so positive, by if you take our current issues too seriously you'll never get out alive.

I'm surprised that you work for an airline and are not worried about the price of oil.
I thought the airline industry was taking some mighty hits these days.
But if you have job security, god bless you.

Oh there is ZERO job security in the airline biz. Northwest is my third airline and hopefully it wont tank on me. I cant even begin to describe the
rumors, the doubt, and the despair that Airline employees have. The fact that at any given point your job cant just disapear. Maxjet fired all of
it's employees via EMAIL on XMAS #ING EVE! It can really get to you and make your job miserable. I got sick of being miserable about it and if #
happens, # happens. There are other places to work. I do feel that the airline industry is going to get much worse than it is now. The oil prices are
killer.

Own home, about 40% mortgage only so can hopefully manage a house crash.

I am lucky and i know and appreciate this. I am single and have no children, nor the desire to reproduce. A child would bankrupt me; as a
marriage/child/divorce did my brother.

I have everything i need. I have the big TV, the games consoles and computers. I don't NEED to make any big purchases for years, nor do I want to.
It is only in the last 2 years that I made that crucial mental disticntion between want and need.

My living expenses are low. I have downsized my mobile phone to pay as you go, have no satelite/cable, lowest internet suitable.

Even with this I can only manage to save 200 pounds a month max. Something always manages to crop up (vets bills etc, I have a cat). I have minimal
savings and I have no debts. I think I could survive 3 months with no wage before I became desperate.

I dont drive so fuel is irrelevant to me, but food and utilites bills are hitting me hardest, but thankfully not as much as many. I am trying new
recipies (and enjoying the process of cooking) to achieve cheap food. I my first fish pie yesterday; it was lovely and could feed six for about 5
pounds... I am freezing some.

I am thankful of my situation and I acknowledge I am lucky to work close to home, and can thrive without a car and children.

In the UK I think there is too much pandering to the unemployed and slackers. I mentioned previously that 3 months and I would be desperate... well,
thats probably not the case as I would have most things paid for by the state. In my heart of hearts I do sometimes wonder "whats the point?" of
working when you can get so much for free. This mentlity is something the younger generation has latched onto wholeheartedly. I really don't blame
them, it's there on a plate.

It truly is incredible. An education is great, just try to avoid getting old or sick whilst paying off your debts. Right now a good education will
cost you more than your home. You'd best not major in art history or dance, because you will never get out from underneath your debts with no job,
unless you have rich relatives who will indulge you.

I'm still in shock that the Ph.D. I slaved for 10 years to get after graduating high school is virtually worthless now. You have to be very careful
trying to find a field that will be active when you graduate. Right now health care is pretty big. I suspect fields related to energy will also be
active for a while. Even nuclear engineering may make a comeback.

I'm interviewing for a job next week that may be no more than half of what I used to make. Moreover the job is more than an hour a way (if there
were no traffic). With traffic it's more like 2-3 hours. I will probably have to rent a place there in order to pull it off. I doubt we will be
able to pay all of our expenses under this scenario. Renting a studio in this area is about $1000 a month.

This is one of the few posts I have read where no one is flaming anyone, very sad but an enjoyable discussion; so I guess I will share.

Luckily I have no children, so I only have to worry about myself and sometimes my mother.

Here in small town Tn. we really have no good jobs. Just service and labor. I personally have had bad luck at finding steady work since moving back
in 02. Those were the days making great money doing illustration work, but this town is really stuck in the past.

I have to drive 200 miles one way to the V.A. for treatment but with the price of gas I can only afford to do that once a month now. Because of my
medical problems I have to spend more time than I like at home, so pretty much every job I have had I was let go. It is understandable but I do get
extremely discouraged alot.

I went into real estate awhile back so I could work flexible hours, but everyone knows about the market and I live in a military town and when they
get deployed it hurts all business.

I havent quit yet and I guess thats the key. Also reading about other people here who are worse off than me and still trying is uplifting. Good luck
to all.

My father is a businessman who makes an impressive six-figure income. I just graduated with a 4 year degree in mechanical engineering from the
University of South Carolina.

I still live at home, since my new job is only 15 miles away. We live in the same neighborhood as all the doctors, lawyers, and even some NFL players.
We get season tickets to see the South Carolina Gamecocks college football team.

We have intercoms in our home to talk with each other since it's so large. My mother and father have 4 vehicles, even though it's just us. I drive a
Toytota 4Runner, but they also have a 2008 Land Cruiser, which sometimes gets as little as 12 mpg.

I pay no rent.
I have no car payment. (My 4Runner is an old '97)
Gas prices bother me (because I know I could be paying less), but they don't hurt me at all.

BUT...I STILL CARE about what's going on. Why? Because things are going to get much worse - and it will affect everyone.

I just imagine the intercom thing. It's hard to understand how big your house actually is.....

'Hi mom'
'Hi son;
'Do we have any milk in the refrigerator'
'I'm not sure, I will ask your sis'
'Hi daughter'
'Did you put any milk in the refrigerator'
'Yeah'
'Hi son, we have milk in the refrigerator'
'Ok let's everybody meet up at 700 hrs for breakfast'

My parents have one of those. They mainly use it when someone answers the phone and its for the other person as my dad is usually upstairs, and mom
downstairs, so they do not have to walk up and down and get each other,lol

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